


Professional Opinion

by Chiharu



Category: Haikyuu!!, Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Gen, Injury Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-30
Updated: 2016-08-30
Packaged: 2018-08-12 01:06:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7914454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chiharu/pseuds/Chiharu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Remember when Midorima was doing his rotation in orthopedics and Oikawa was one of his patients?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Professional Opinion

Midorima is on day three of his rotation in the orthopedics department when he finds a pair of high schoolers charming a nurse. He watches, patiently, as the sturdier-built boy glares at the boy flirting with Namie-san. They're both clad in practice clothes, and Midorima recognizes the familiar sweat stains on their t-shirts. Midorima waits a moment before knocking on the open door of the exam room.

Namie-san looks up from taking the flirty patient’s history. "Midorima-sensei! This is Tooru-kun. I'm going to set files here for you to review," she says, embarrassed, before excusing herself.

One glance at the thick folder is enough for Midorima to know that this patient is a repeat visitor. 

"Where is Nanami-sensei?" The flirty boy asks from his chair. He makes a grunting sound when his friend nudges him.

Midorima flips through the file. "Nanami-sensei is currently on vacation, but I suspect she would not be happy to see you readmitted. The tendon inflammation in your MRI last week clearly indicates the beginning signs of tendonitis. So why, exactly, do you have dirty kneepads on when you clearly need to rest and refrain from sports?"

"Shittykawa!" The friend snaps before the boy can respond. "You told me it wasn't a big deal!"

"It's not," Shittykawa insists. "I rested, Iwa-chan!"

"For a day!" Iwa-chan retorts, looking very much like Kaijou's captain during their first year of high school. "I told you to stop pushing yourself! Do you want to destroy your knee?"

Midorima chooses then to cut in. "Do you feel pain after performing physical activity? Or only during?"

"During," Shittykawa says, trying to school his expression into something disarming. 

Midorima adjusts his glasses. "Are you lying?"

"Yes!" Iwa-chan grits out. "He also feels pains after the activity."

"Volleyball?" Midorima glances down at the files again and frowns. He has heard that Miyagi prefecture produces some nationally ranked volleyball teams. "Does it hurt when you walk?"

Shittykawa looks torn between lying and telling the truth. "I-" 

"Please take the knee pad off and walk from this end of the room to the other."

While Shi-Oikawa obeys, Midorima turns to the friend. "What year are you in, Iwa..."

"Iwaizumi. We're both in our second year at Seijou." It takes a moment for Iwaizumi to straighten up. "We're going to defeat Shiwatorizawa and go to nationals."

Midorima says nothing as he watches Oikawa walk with a slight limp. He jots something down on the file and listens as Iwaizumi admonishes Oikawa. It's October, and the changing of the leaves in Sendai reminds Midorima of the maple tree outside of the gym at Sohoku. 

"Sensei?" Oikawa asks when the room falls quiet. He sounds uncertain and young. "Everything is going to be fine... Right?"

Midorima doesn't know the answer to that. He does, however, know how to diagnose Oikawa's injury. "Nanami-sensei wrote your condition down as a stage 1 Jumper's Knee. Because you have aggravated that knee since your last visit, I suspect this now places you at stage 2. Any and all activities that increases the load on your patellar tendon should be avoided. This includes running and jumping. That means no volleyball."

"Sensei!" Oikawa wails as Iwaizumi stiffens. "I can't not play volleyball!"

"I did not say that." Midorima points out. "First of all, you need to ice that knee after any activity that exacerbates the pain, and during evenings. I'm going to prescribe you some anti-inflammatory medication for the next two weeks, but I highly recommend you enroll in physical therapy."

"The spring high-"

"Will continue without you," Midorima cuts in. "Your knee will give out by then if you persists in this behavior." At the sight of Oikawa's crestfallen expression, Midorima sighs. "Sendai Hospital has one of the best Physical Therapy departments in the country. It's better to start now, not after that knee is wrecked enough for surgery to become a necessity." It's essentially the speech he gave Takao in their last year of highschool, when a torn ACL made Takao sit out for six months. Takao had whined, pleaded, and begged Nakatani-sensei until Midorima told him that Takao’s health was more important than any trophy. By then, Midorima had already decided he would quit basketball in university to pursue medicine. 

Oikawa just looks down and glares at his leg. "I promised the team…Sensei wants me to become the new captain. How can I lead us to victory when I'm stuck on the bench?"

This makes Midorima tsk. "You will never become a good captain with that attitude. Supporting your team is just as important as leading it." At the silence, he continues. "Injuries happen to the best of athletes. Playing is just as important as gauging your limitations and knowing when to rest. Winning and losing are inevitable parts of life. Even professional athletes lose sometimes, but that doesn't deter them from getting back into the game. No match or tournament is worth ruining your sports career."

Oikawa asks, "Have you worked with any professional athletes before?"

"Yes." 

"Did any of them bounce back from an injury like this?" Oikawa mumbles, as if he already knows the answer.

Midorima doesn't like to talk about himself, especially not with patients. Yet, he understands how Iwaizumi and Oikawa feel. High school wasn't that long ago, and sometimes Midorima still wakes up to the thought of going to morning basketball practice. Eventually, he says, "Do you know Aomine Daiki? He plays for the New York Knicks."

"Yeah!" Iwaizumi nods fervently. "That guy is a legend!"

"He’s the pride of Japanese basketball," Oikawa agrees. "Everyone knows the story of how he got recruited into the NBA after playing a year with the Hitachin Sunrockers!"

This, Midorima already knows. "During his last year of high school, Aomine suffered from a stress fracture that made him sit out of some deciding matches in the Interhigh. He missed his chance of playing in front of recruiters from Keio University and lost a lucrative basketball scholarship."

Imaizumi grimaces. "That sucks."

"He was dragged kicking and screaming into the hospital after aggravating his injury," Midorima continues with some fondness. He still remembers the endless stream of messages from Momoi, asking everyone to help her talk sense into Aomine. "But during the end of his PT, Aomine met the assistant coach of the Hitachin SunRockers, whose son had the flu. He challenged the man to a friendly 1 on 1 game and signed a contract days later. That's how he went directly from high school basketball to the national basketball league."

"Wow," Iwaizumi says. 

"My brother-in-law loves basketball and made me watch matches with him," Oikawa adds, turning to his friend. "I still remember watching that exhibition match when I was in elementary school! Remember when those Americans spit on the Captain of Team Strky and the following match when-" He stops just in time for Midorima to regret telling the story. "Wait."

As if communicating telepathically, both Oikawa and Iwaizumi turn to Midorima with wide eyes.

"Go to physical therapy," Midorima says decisively. "Learn to stop aggravating your knee and rest properly. Don't limit yourself to the idea that you only have one last chance. Opportunity can strike anytime and anywhere, but you'll never be able to prove your potential while playing on an injury."

"Sensei-“

"When you make it to nationals," Midorima adds. "Come back and I'll get you Aomine's autograph."

The boys nod, just in time for the nurse to call Midorima to the next exam room. Midorima gives Oikawa one last look. "I'll have Chitose-san at the front desk book you an appointment with Yamada-sensei in the kinesiology department. Take the prescription to the pharmacy and start treating your inflammation before then. Good luck."

In the hallway, Midorima trades folders with Namie-san as she tells him about his next patient. There's a smile on her face, which makes Midorima asks, "What?"

"That was a very inspirational speech."

Midorima rubs the bridge of his nose and opens his next patient's file. "Everyone loves Aomine."

"Sure." Namie-san laughs. "But Tooru-kun looked like he wanted your autograph instead."


End file.
